Do potassium ions pass through the selectivity filter of a potassium channel alone, or are there water molecules between the ions, too? This question has been a source of controversy for years. Researchers led by Prof. Adam Lange from the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) in Berlin have now demonstrated that water molecules do not co-migrate through the potassium channel. Since the experiments were carried out on cell membranes under natural conditions for the first time, the researchers have strong proof. Their work has just been published in the journal Science Advances.
Click here for original story, Researchers prove there are no water molecules between the ions in the selectivity filter of potassium channels
Source: Phys.org